But what the video of men in the streets misses is the quiet majority that deplores the burning of the Holy Quran but refuses to take part in violence. And the women who are trying to calm the uproar while getting on with their work.

"Most people are more angry at the protesters than at the U.S. troops who did it," said Manizha Naderi, executive director of Women for Afghan Women. "One person actually said, 'When the Taliban are blowing up schools or mosques, aren't they burning the Quran? Mosques are filled with hundreds of copies of the Quran. How come no one is saying anything about this?'"

Another journalist who is covering the protests notes that the men on the streets were incited by a media-savvy Taliban who understand the value of the images created.

Independent Task Force Reports

Rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries are increasing faster than in wealthier countries. The Independent Task Force outlines a plan for collective action on this growing epidemic.